County legislators push their bills as special session nears end

Updated 9:18 pm, Thursday, August 10, 2017

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, speaks to press during the open house on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at Sen. Creighton's office in The Woodlands.

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, speaks to press during the open house on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at Sen. Creighton's office in The Woodlands.

Photo: Michael Minasi, Staff Photographer

County legislators push their bills as special session nears end

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The clock is ticking down to the end of this summer's special legislative session with a number of bills apparently dead for now.

With the session set to end Wednesday -- unless the governor decides to call another special session -- bills authored or sponsored by any state lawmaker would only be brought up again this summer if Gov. Greg Abbott calls another session. Otherwise, they'll have to wait for the next legislative session in two years.

Before this special session, the Montgomery County delegation in the Texas House of Representatives -- Will Metcalf, Cecil Bell Jr. and Mark Keough -- had urged the governor to extend the regular legislative session.

State Sen. Brandon Creighton also asked the governor to call for a special session, although it's not clear yet if he and the other local lawmakers will be making a similar request.

"We have six days left in this special session and I am focused on what we can accomplish," Creighton said in an email to The Courier. "I will monitor the next 72 hours of progress because the Senate property tax bill will be debated in the House and then I will make a decision after that."

When he called for the current special session, Abbott had an agenda of 20 items he wanted passed by lawmakers, but a number of those matters remain unresolved. As governor, Abbott can keep on calling lawmakers back into as many sessions as he wants, but he hasn't indicated one way or another, so far, what he will do.

One of those bills that was the result of the governor's agenda was Senate Bill 14. Authored by state Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, the measure was especially worrisome to residents and officials in The Woodlands and Conroe because it was feared it would lead to the clear-cutting of trees, with the governor's support.

Abbott had placed the matter on his agenda for the session, saying what he described as the "regulatory overreach" of local tree ordinances and rules was infringing on the rights of private property owners.

Creighton, R-Conroe, says he was able to have the bill amended so that The Woodlands and Conroe would be exempted. The bill has passed the Senate but is still with the House.

Meanwhile, another bill -- House Bill 7 -- a measure involving tree mitigation fees that would require a municipality that charges a fee for tree removal for development or construction to allow a property owner to apply for a credit for tree planting to offset the fee was passed in a Senate committee. It's expected to be heard on the Senate floor, but with the end of the session approaching, it's future is unclear.

A bill that will likely die, unless another special session is called, is a measure that would prohibit the removing, altering or renaming of any statue or historical structure that has been on public ground for more than 40 years.

The bill by Creighton comes after what turned out to be unfounded concerns arose in June that there might be attempts to remove the Sam Houston statue in Hermann Park in Houston. The bill has not advanced after being filed by Creighton. More recently, two councilmen in San Antonio are trying to have a statue of a confederate soldier removed from a park there.

"I understood when I filed the bill that it was not on the governor's agenda to be considered for this special session," Creighton said. "We have received tremendous support for this bill from across Texas and I hope it is added to this special session call or a subsequent session."

Also, two bills by Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, that would require the chief appraiser and board members of appraisal districts to run for office, instead of being appointed, have not progressed, although Metcalf says he'll continue to push for property tax reform.

"I want to give voters every opportunity possible to have a voice in their local taxation," said Metcalf, noting that the House will still take up property tax issues over the weekend. "My pieces of legislation to make certain county tax officials elected positions is a big part of that strategy. I plan to continue to push for these reforms as well as look at different ways to approach the issue in hope of getting more support for the ideas."